Most publishers will never have the resources of either Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg. But their news products now champion a development practice that is both vital and attainable - frequent live audience iteration.
Over the last month or so, the Washington Post launched a new app for Kindle Fire. It will be rolled out slowly across other platforms, after "a team of 16 editorial staffers working three shifts a day put it together."
Facebook's News Feed - responsible for 20% of traffic to all other major news sites - is also maintained by a team of 16 developers who, about once a week, adjust the code that controls the feed.
More often than not in publishing, news products are developed by small teams who have at least a dozen other products in their pipeline. What Bezos and Zuckerberg show with their development strategies is that a full-team focus on experimentation - live, with users - is an approach that should be much more widely adopted.
Overall: 6.0
Revenue Potential: 7
Driving a product through the iteration phase quickly will help that product to attain its revenue potential much faster. The fact that the Washington Post's latest news app is currently limited to the Kindle Fire does not diminish the benefit Mr. Bezos will realize by launching the product quickly and iterating with a live readership. Based on that alone, the revenue potential for this and similarly supported products is high, because whatever they eventually make will be based on reader usage/demand - and that will draw reader revenue and sponsorships.
Value to Brand: 5
Facebook and the Washington Post have different objectives with their news products, and each supports their respective brand. For now, neither is enhancing or detracting from the overall value.
User Experience: 5
With teams of 16 driving the development, the final UX will be polished like a stone in the river.